Put a Cork in It: The Case for Cork Home Decor

It's stylish and sustainable

Born and raised in the UK, Jess is NONAGON’s resident historian turned marketer turned writer, drawn to Hong Kong by the lure of dim sum breakfasts and bustling city life. A foodie who loves to cook, food occupies 70% of her brain 90% of the time. When not eating, Jess can typically be found buried in a book or obsessing over making NONAGON’s Instagram #feedgoals.

The Promise of Cork

At its core, cork has a unique elastic cellular structure which gives it great strength and inherent durability. It’s also thermal regulating and soundproof, in addition to being noncorrosive and fire-resistant. For these reasons, cork is a natural fit for the demands of enduring eco-friendly design.

What’s more, cork is a renewable material. Though it does come from a cork tree, harvesting the raw material involves only the bark. In short, cork harvesting avoids the damage typically associated with logging, allowing the tree to carry on living and growing, cleaning our air and providing even more cork for us to use. Finally, as it’s 100% natural, cork is also fully biodegradable, bringing the product cycle full circle.

Cork Home Decor

From walls to flooring and accessories, cork is more versatile than you think. Here are some of our favorite ways to incorporate cork home decor.

Tableware

There’s something inherently chic about the juxtaposition of sturdy cork and delicate glass. The haphazard contrast of textures speaks to a make-do and mend quality, playing into the season’s ever-popular rustic aesthetic. Fill this Scandi-inspired bottle with homemade lemonade or kombucha to complete the look.

Furniture

Although traditionally thought of as a cheap material, when combined with contemporary design, cork can more than hold its own in the world of high end luxury. Case in point, Nova Obiecta’s COLUM(N) stool meets side table. Geometric abstraction of form modernizes the simplicity of the cork aesthetic. Meanwhile, hand-polished brass and copper alloys add polish to the design.

Flooring

Given the durable qualities of cork, cork flooring is a design no-brainer, regardless of your personal interior style. Of course, cork is right at home with the natural Scandinavian vibes of a white minimalist space. But the mottled cork texture can also work in a contemporary or modern classical setting. In this traditional kitchen, cork is a cooler alternative to marble, literally and figuratively grounding the room.